School officer funding nearing end

April 8, 2013

By

J SWYGART

An anonymous donor who had agreed to finance Adams County's School Resource Officer program for three years after federal grant funding ends this summer reportedly has rescinded the offer.
School Resource Officers — armed police officers, one each from the Decatur Police Department, Adams County Sheriff's Department and Geneva Police Department — are stationed daily throughout the school year at North Adams, Adams Central and South Adams schools. Their salaries for the past five years have been paid by a federal grant as part of the national Safe Schools/Healthy Students initiative.
That grant ends this summer and will not be renewed, local officials have said, but local school and law enforcement officials were buoyed late last year when word leaked out that an private donor had agreed to cover the cost of the resource officers for an additional three years.
Further details in Saturday's print and e-editions.